Car loader or car unloader



July 21, 1925. 1,546,597

c-a. MANIERRE CAR LOADER 03 CAR UNLOADER Filed Jan. 10, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 21, 1925. 1,546,597

a G. MANIERRE CAR LOADER OR CAR UNLOADER Filed Jan. 10. 1921 4 sheets-rshee't 2 g illlllllllll I @Ofge /azzzerre 044%, 4mg.

July 21, 1925 1,546,597

G. MANEERRE CAR LOADER OR CAR UNLOADER Filed Jan. '10, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 21, 1925. 1,546,597

G. MANIERRE CAR LOADER OR CAR UNLOADER Filed Jan. 10, 1923. I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5207376 fizzrre Patented July 21, 15 25,

PATENT .QFFI'CE...

GEORGE MANIEEEE, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GAB LEADER QR CAR UNLOADEB.

Application filed January 10, 19,21, Serial No, 436,353.

To, (ZZZ w from it may concern:

Be it known. that l', Grouch lhluursium, citizen of the United States, residing at llflilwaukee, county of ltllilwaulree, and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and use; ttul Improvement in Car Loaders or Car Unloaders, of which the. following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in conveying devices, to he used mainly in connection with railroad cars or other vehicles, and intended to, be utilized for load ing or unloading material. in bulk form to and from these vehicles.

The invention deals, particularly with means for adjusting the inclination of certain parts of these conveying devices whereby. they may be readily placed so as to counteract an uneven position'ot the vehicle, or respectively, so as to assume a slanting position with respect to. the vehicle.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an adjusting device'tor loaders or unloaders, whereby the. entire conveyor may be moved to operate in a selectively determined plane, and may be retained pern'ianently in this position, or may be readjusted to another angular position, whenever this seems desirable.

It is an object of the invention to. provide adjustment means associated with a part of the support of these conveyors, and for niov=- ing a portion 01' this support, or several portions or the same angularly,or in a rectilinear path, to permit the structure attached to this support, to assume also a position different from the ordinary horizontal position,

It is also an object of the invention to provide a motor or hand actuated apparatus for shifting a supportingelemeut, on which part 01 the conveyor is carriechso as to tilt a post and thereby also the conveyor parts suspended from the post.

It is another object of the invention to provide difijerent means of adjustment at different ends of the supporting structure, and to permit of movement of one end in a pre-determined direction only, while the movement of the other end may be eii ected in another direction, or in several directions.

It'is also an object of the invention to provide means for the adjustment of a sup porting; part, from which the conveyor is suspended, so that owingto the inclination of the suspended structure, it will move in. a certain direction by gravity, a slight deviw tion of the supporting part-from the vertical line being suflicicnt to cause the heavy structure suspended therefrom, to. swing by its own weight in a certain direction.

VViththese numerous objects in Vl6W,GH1- bodiinents ot the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein :V

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section of the main structure and support of a conveyor of this character.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, on line 2-2 of F ig. 1.

Fig; 3. isa top. plan view of the same device.

Fig. 4 shows a detail sectional view of the upper end of the adjusting means.

Fig. 5 is. partly a horizontal section and partly atop plan view of an adjusting de vice, which is hand operated, and

Fig; 6 is a detail elevation and partly section of an automatic cut-out tor a motor.

7 shows the adjusting device in connection with an electrically driven car, in which the conveyor is supported for intro.- duction into a freight car or the like, standing on an adjacent track.

This structure is carried by a support comprising an anchor block 1?, brackets 1, fastened to the block by bolts 2, and a pivot post While in the following specification reference is made to the adjustment of one of these supporting parts with respect to the others, it. is. obvious that the desired rapid adjustment of the conveyor, may also be attained by displacing otherparts relatively to each other, or by adjusting the entire combination including the anchor post, horizontally or vertically. n i

The brackets. I, arelocated near the top and bottoinend oi the block P, and the post 3, is surrounded intermediate the brackets by roller bearings. 12, which form a part of the angular arm structure 10, pertaining to the conveyor itself.

The supporting part, which in the present device is selected to effect rapid adjustment of the conveyor structure, is the post 3, the opposite ends of which may be hift d in dif erent direstiens Assuming that the supporting parts are disposed close to a car track, the adjustment of the top of the post in a given direction, for instance parallel to the track, may be effected by the displacement of two screws 5, (Fig. 4) which pass through opposite transverse walls of the bracket, 1, and which impinge upon a collar or carriage 6, through which the post extends. From Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the two screws, 5, are in alinement with each other, parallel to the track, and that the carriage 6, is substantially square and carried by projecting ledges 7, 011 longitudinal walls of the bracket. Lock nuts 9, hold the screws 5, in adjusted position.

The post also may be adjusted axially owing to the provision of the suspension sleeve 13, which has an enlargement 14, with a spherical outer surface, adapted to be seated on a corresponding spherical surface of the carriage 6. A socket 15, in the top of the post serves for receiving a screw 16, which project-s through the top of the sleeve 13, and which carries on the project ing end a bevel gear 17 This bevel gear is also supported from an annular shoulder of the sleeve by interposed ball bearings 18. The screw 16, is in contact with a nut 19, the outer surface of which, however, is also provided with a thread engaging a tapped counterbore of the socket 15, in the post 3. Rotation of the nut 19, with respect to the post, is prevented through a key 2Q. Another bevel gear 22, is rotatably mounted on the smooth portion of a screw 23, which ex tends through the side of the sleeve 13, and which is threaded into the same. The hub of the pinion 22, has ratchet teeth 24, and a circular yoke 25 surrounds the ratchet portion of this bevel pinion, the yoke serving as a carrier for a pawl, not shown, which engages the ratchet. A rod or handle 26, which is secured to the yoke, facilitates the actuation of the same by providing a relatively large leverage.

Upon rotating the bevel pinion 22, the gear 17 will be rotated and the screw 16 will be turned. As the nut 19 is locked against rotation by means of the key 20, the nut will be moved axially, causing also a longitudinal displacement of the post 3.

This part of the support therefore, may be adjusted at its upper end transversely to its axis, and it may also be adjusted axially whenever such adjustment should become necessary.

Independent means are provided" for adjusting this supporting element in a direction at an angle to that described. The rapid adjustment of the lower end of the post 3 may also be eflected by means of the lower bracket 1, which has rectangular walls 30, having on two sides guiding ledges 31, on which the rollers 33, of a carriage 34, may travel. This carriage which is guided in this way in a pre-determined direction, preferably at right angles to the track, is provided with a substantially circular opening of a larger diameter than that of the post. Between the top and the bottom surface of the carriage, a bead projects from the circular wall of this opening inwardly, so as to engage the outer surface of the post 3 and to compel thereby the post to take part in the rectilinear movement of the carriage 34, without, however, preventing a longitudinal adjustment of this post or an angular adjustment of the same.

The drawings illustrate different embodiments of mechanism for causing the movement of the carriage. According to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a motor drives by means of a worm 41, a worm gear 42 on a shaft 43, which is suitably supported in a bearing on the foundation and which carries a gear 44, in driving engagement with an other gear 45, fixed to the end of the countershaft 46, which is parallel to the shaft 43, and which is also supported in a bearing on the foundation. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that the inner end of this shaft is rigidly connected with an extension sleeve 46, which projects through a bracket 47, on the side of the bracket 30. The sleeve 46, is provided on a part of its length with an internal thread engaging a spindle 48, the inner end of which is pinned at 49 to the car riage 34. Upon rotation of the shaft 46, and of the sleeve 46 a longitudinal displacement of the carriage 34 will be produced as the spindle 48 is held against r0- tation.

The thrusts which occur during the adjusting movement and also owing to the slanting position of the support after adjustment), are absorbed in the present case by a pair of ball bearings 51 which are inserted between the bracket 47 and a diskshaped enlargement 50 on the sleeve 46', and between this enlargement 50 and the bracket- 30 respectively.

While the embodiment just described utilizes a motor for adjusting a supporting element of the conveyor structure, Fig. 5 shows a modification in which this displacement may be effected manually. The sleeve 61 which on a part of its length forms a nut in engagement with the spindle 62, again projects through a bracket 47 and the thrusts are absorbed by ball bearings 51 in a way similar to the embodiment just described.

A. ratchet 63, is secured to the outer end of the sleeve 61 which projects from the bracket 47, and a circular yoke 64 surrounding the ratchet carries a pawl (not shown) whereby through oscillation of the yoke 64 a rotary movement may be imparted to the far.

sleeve 61 for axially displacing the spindle 62 and thereby the supporting carriage 34 and the element 3 of the conveyor.

lVh-ere a motor is used for efiiecting this adjustment of the support of the conveyor, means may be provided for automatically limiting the extent of the adjustment.

As shown in Fig. 6, two casings 65 are mounted on a platform, each having a clamping screw 66 to which one end of a conductor (not shown) may be secured. The base 6.? on which the screw 66 is mount ed has vertical plate 68 which carries pins 69, surroundetl by springs 70 which not upon two contact fingers '71. The upper ends of those lingers are normally forced the springs 76 into conductive engagement with a bar or rod 7'2 which is also connected with a conductor "(not shown The carriage 34: which is moved by the adjusting device described, may be provided with a bar 73, carrying at its end, an insulated bloclr 74, adapted to engage either one of the two sets :ol? contact fingers Q 1 and to lfiorce the same out of conductive engagement with the'rod 72, when the carriage has been moved too The current to the motor will thereby be interrupted.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7, the entire plant for loading or unloading the :car is transportable, and is disposed on another car 80, which is movable on a trolley track parallel to the running track for the freight cars. Fig. 7 shows the connection between the electric motor 81 and the axle 82 of thisvehicle and includes also in dotted lines the arrangement of an auxiliary motor by means of which the support of the con- Veyor structure, whether itse-rves for loading or unloading, may be adjusted eventually so as to impart to this conveyor structure an inclination, which will permit the same to swing by gravity into a pro-determine-d position either into the car 83 or to swing by gravity from the interior of the car 83, outwardly. The conveyor structure is composed in this instance, of two arms 10 and 21 which are pivotally interconnected and of which one arm is rotatably secured to the support 84 whose adjustment may be desired. The other arm 21, may carry at the free end, a yoke 90, in which the conveyor mechanism (not shown) is mounted so as to transport the material passing through the chute 91 into the interior of the car, towards one or the other end of the same.

The rapid adjustment of the support relatively to the track, for tilting the entire conveyor structure may be extremely advantageous, especially where this adjustment is effected by a separate motor. The heavy structure has to be moved frequently to di'l'lercnt positions within the car, and also to diilerent positions outside the car, to be then, returned into the car. lVhere the tiltbag can be effected by .a motor, it is obvious that the support may placed in a position in whichthis swinging movement may take place in either direction, to or from the car, by gravity, and owing to this provision, the entire operation or the loader or unloader is greatly simplified.

The adjustment of the upper end of the support in a direction parallel to the track may not be required ery often. Its adjustment will compensate for the grade of that tracl; on which the box-car loader or unloader may run. After this adjustment has once been made, it can be maintained under normal conditions as long as the grade oat the track remains the same. The adjustment in a direction transversely of the track, however, may become necessary or desirable or the purpose of inducing automatically the swinging movements o'fthe device toand from the car without assistance shy the operator. The tilting angle o t the support, which will induce this automatic swinging movement, is not very large. A quarter aof an inch in five feet will be a sutiicient deflection to permit the conveyor to pivot by gravity about the support, as the conveyor structure is carried on ball :and roller :bearings thereon.

I claim:

1. In a supportingdevice for .a leader or unleader for cars, the combination of a sup rpo-r-ti post on wh'iclrthe leader or unloader structure 'ismovably carried, carriages associated with different parts o l the post and independent separate means for moving one carriage in one direction and for moving the othercarriage at an angle thereto.

2. In a supporting device for :a leader or unloader for cars, the combination or a supporting post on which the loader or un loader structure is movably carried, carriages associated with the upper and lower ends of the post r spectively, bearings for the end portions of the post in these carriages, and screw-actuated means for displacing the carriages in rectilinear paths in different directions.

3. In a supporting device lor a loader or unloader for-cars, the combination of a supporting post from which the loader or unloader structure is pivotally suspendet, brackets, means for supporting said post from one of said brackets, carriages associated with the post at different portions thereof, guiding means on the brackets for the carriages, and screws associated with till the brackets at opposite ends of the post brackets for adjusting the post axially, and means associated with each of said brackets and independent of the first mentioned adjusting means and of each other for tilting said post in different vertical planes.

5. In a supporting device for a loader or unloader for cars, the combination of a supporting post from which the loader or unloader is pivotally suspended, a bracket, a carriage guided in said bracket and em bracing said post, means for displacing said carriage within the bracket, and ball bearings for absorbing the thrusts produced in a direction at right angle to the axis of the post by said adjustment.

6. In a supporting device for a loader or unloader for cars, the combination of a post from which the loader or unloader structure is pivotally suspended, at fixed bracket with respect to which the post is movable, a carriage guided within said bracket and embracing the post, a spindle fixed on said carriage and passing through said bracket, and means cooperating with said spindle for causing a longitudinal displacement of said spindle and of said carriage.

7 In a supporting'device for a loader or unloader for cars, a post from which the loader or unloader structure is pivotally supported, a bracket, a carriage embracing the post and pivotally guided in the bracket, a spindle secured to the carriage, a sleeve in threaded engagement with the spindle, means for rotating said sleeve and means associated with the sleeve and with the bracket for taking up the thrusts produced by the adjustment of the loader or unloader structure and by the movement of said structure with respect to the post.

8. In a supporting device for a loader or unloader for cars, a supporting post from which the loader or unloader structure is pivotally suspended, hand actuated means for adjusting one end of the post in a hori zontal plane in a predetermined direction, and power actuated means for adjusting another end of the post in another direction and in another horizontal plane.

9. In a supporting device for a leader or unloader for cars, a supporting post from which the leader or unloader structure is pivotally suspended, brackets, carriages guided in said brackets and embracing the post, screws extending through one of said brackets and acting upon the carriage therein, for displacing the same, a threaded spindle fixedly connected with the other carriage, a sleeve in engagement with said spindle, means for rotating said sleeve, the sleeve having an enlargement near the bracket, a second bracket connected with the first mentioned bracket, ball bearings interposed between said brackets and the enlargement on the spindle, and means for rotating the spindle.

10. In a supporting device for a loader or unloader for cars, the combination of a supporting post from which the leader or unloader structure is pivotally suspended, a bracket, a carriage guided within said bracket and embracing the post, and a drive for displacing said carriage in a rectilinear path.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses at 445 Milwaukee St, Milwaukee, IVisconsin.

GEORGE MANIERRE.

Witnesses:

JULIA M. BURNs, H. MrrTELs'rRAss. 

